Good weather has returned for our final leg before Vienna. We left Linz by the now familiar route from the splendid Hauptplatz, over the bridge to the Ars Centre on the north bank and the bike trail. Then we had to pedal the long way round the bend in the river, through parkland with the regular joggers, rollerbladers, etc before leaving the city altogether. Soon we crossed the river at another hydro barrage and soon after found ourselves trapped at a confluence with another large river, and no bridge in sight. But a patient queue of cyclists revealed the solution – a small ferry from Enns to the north bank and the village of Mauthausen.

We were the last in the queue (and the heaviest laden) and we only just managed to squeeze on. It was a bit like the ‘How many elephants can you get in a mini?’ joke, but with cycle tourists and a small boat.

Mauthausen was the site of the largest of all the Nazi concentration camp complexes from 1938 onwards, and the last to be liberated by the allies. It was reserved for the very harshest treatment, ‘death by labour’ in the stone quarry, for the intelligensitia – the Nazi regime’s political enemies. Somewhere between 125 and 320 thousand died. And I hadn’t heard of it before today.

But the sombre mood didn’t last long. On leaving the village we came across a lovely flower shop – with the signage (for some reason) in Yorkshire and in French.

Another section of riverbank led to a fabulous service station for bikes. This had toilets, water, cafe, shop, a motorway-style directions sign board, and free use of cycle tools. It had been purpose built in an entirely traffic free section of the trail. Truly a Leicester Forest East for cyclists! Needless to say, we used almost all of the facilities!

From there the valley has narrowed down again and we are back between high, wooded hills for the first time since Linz. Our campsite is at Grein, a lovely medieval village on a bend in the river and another lovely spot to stay. Even though the 22 Italian camper vans have turned up again and have given another bravura parking performance! Tomorrow we must start with a ferry crossing to reach the quieter, south bank.

Helen’s track of the day: D. Parton/K. Rogers, Islands in the Stream, sorry but it followed a chance remark by Andy about some islands which were placed close to an inlet from the Danube we passed beside. His fault entirely.